Tommy
We pull up to pure debauchery.
One thing I love about this town is that everyone likes to party here. The keg parties are epic, which is also why our group doesn’t particularly stand out among the rest of the kids doing stupid and messed-up shit all the time.
The party is at a well-known party house in town, and it’s crawling with people from school. The hippie crowd is out tonight, everyone channeling love and peace. We pull up in Bax’s Shaggin’ Waggin, making sure everyone sees us.
“Loud and proud, baby,” Bax drawls as he cranks down the window and flashes a peace sign at a pair of wide-eyed freshmen walking by. “What’s happening, ladies?”
They giggle and saunter off, and Bax—never one to shy away from chasing ass—jumps out and bolts after them.
The guy reminds me of Pig Pen, but instead of a permanent cloud of dust, it’s a permanent cloud of smoke.
I’m not sure if any news has spread as to what happened on campus yet, but I’m sure it will, eventually. By the end of tonight, everyone will be talking about it.
Remy cranks the door open and hops out, helping Talia out first, then Didi, and I jump out last, keeping my eyes on Didi’s ass in her tight jeans, even as she grabs Remy’s hand.
We head inside, and there are as many people inside as outside. I stand back and cross my arms.
Talia nudges me and hands me a beer. “Cheer up, pretty boy.”
My jaw twitches as Remy takes Didi into a dark corner. “I’m trying. I’m really fucking trying.”
She steps in beside me, and I wrap my arm around her slender waist, and she nuzzles in. “Give me what I want tonight, and I’ll give you what you want.”
“What do I want, Talia?” I ask, arching my brows.
She looks up at me and smirks. Her soft side is shining through, which is typical Talia behavior after she’s done something heinous. Or rather, after she made one of us do something heinous for her.
“You want Remy out of the way.” She says it with such confidence. “You two have always been so competitive. It doesn’t surprise me in the least that you fell in love with the same girl.”
I let out a laugh as I stare at my best friend and girlfriend in the corner giving each other eyes.
For the first time in a long time—years, perhaps—he seems happy. And that makes me happy, too.
I take a sip of my beer. “Not necessarily.”
She arches her eyebrows. “Tommy Landry, you little scoundrel. Are you into my brother?”
This time I elbow her. “No. It’s not like that.
” Maybe she doesn’t know the two of us that well after all.
It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve watched Remy fuck someone and enjoyed it.
We compete over everything but also don’t mind to share—just like brothers.
She stares at me for a long moment, her eyes dancing.
“Well, I have plans tonight. So I don’t overly care what you do.”
“You do, huh? And what are your plans?”
Her attention drifts to Stephen Garcia. That prick was friends with Daniel Jenkins and liked to make my life miserable growing up.
He’s a pompous asshole who wears argyle and thinks he’s better than everyone else because he’s the president of Kinsmen University’s son.
I never liked how he watched Talia when he thought no one was looking.
His girlfriend is beside him, chatting with a few people, but he keeps darting his gaze in our direction.
He gives her a smile and a wave, and I curl my lip and squeeze my hand around her. “What’s your play, Talia?”
I know what it is without her having to tell me.
The book. Everything revolves around the damn Codex.
“He can get me the key, Tommy; I know he can. He just needs a little…convincing.”
I shoot her a look. “So, what do you need from me if he’s the one who needs convincing?”
She leans up as I rest my hands on her hips. “Stephen only likes girls with boyfriends,” she whispers. “The more I look unavailable, the more he will want me.”
Well, damn.
Stephen and his girlfriend approach us and immediately strike up a conversation with Talia. I hold back behind her as she chit-chats with others.
“Talia,” he says, adjusting his popped collar. I don’t like the way he says her name. “It’s been a while.” He nods at me. “Is this your new boyfriend?”
I grunt in response, and Talia reaches her hand back to mine. “Tommy and I started seeing each other a couple of months ago,” she says with a charming smile.
Her charisma knows no bounds, and neither does her depravity. Stephen and his girlfriend might as well plan their funeral.
Chaos doesn’t choose its victims, but Talia does.
“We’ve met,” I remind him.
He knows who the fuck I am. Everyone in this town knows me.
He tilts his chin back. “Oh yeah, I remember you…you’re Remy’s little friend.” I puff out my chest to remind him that there is nothing little about me.
Talia continues the conversation, focusing on Stephen and ignoring his girlfriend, who awkwardly smiles at me. Talia is an expert at keeping up appearances, and her hands keep reaching back to mine, grasping it.
Touching me. Claiming me. Even as Stephen’s slimy eyes watch us, like he’d stand a chance at stealing my girl from under my nose.
Stephen’s eyes flicker at Talia. “Maybe we could catch up sometime soon.”
Talia leans back into me. “I’d like that very much, Stephen.”
Stephen walks away, and Talia keeps her body pressed to me, knowing full-well I’m being used like a throwaway toy.
“You’re diabolical,” I whisper, nipping her ear with my teeth.
“Keep playing,” she whispers as we head out to the middle of the room, where a few people are dancing and swaying. “I need him to take me home tonight, Tommy.”
Instead of looking away, the creepy motherfucker watches her as she presses her body into mine, putting on a show for him.
I pull Talia closer and move my hand to her ass.
Seems like everyone wants to play games tonight. Didi keeps looking over at me as we intertwine with each other, so hell yeah, I’ll play. I’ll be the doting boyfriend tonight for Talia.
I pull down the strap of Talia’s shirt and kiss her shoulder, worshiping the smooth lines of her collarbone as I push her into a corner.
She presses a little baggie into my hand, then leans up, kissing me. “Don’t go overboard tonight. Keep your wits about you.”
My stomach twinges. “What are you up to?”
She merely smiles and pinches my lips. “You’re a good guy, Tommy. Have I told you that lately?”
Why the hell is Talia acting so funny tonight? And why does it seem like something is going to happen? It’s like everyone is avoiding me.
Didi and Remy have kept a comfortable distance. They seem to be lost in their own little world.
“You better come home to me tonight,” I growl at her.
“Don’t wait up.” She turns on her heel and saunters across the room, heading up a set of stairs.
Not even a minute later, Stephen excuses himself and follows her up with a dark look in his eyes. It makes me wonder how many times she’s banged him.
Talia can take care of herself, but I don’t like the idea of her with Stephen. Not. At. All.
I chug the rest of my beer, tossing the red solo cup to the ground. I open the little baggie, pouring a bump between my thumb and forefinger and sniffing it. I feel instantly better as the shit shoots right through me, kicking in immediately.
Daaaamn…this shit is good.
My body is greedy, so I pour one more healthy bump, and ingest it.
I elbow my way through the throng to the keg and pour myself a beer, silently questioning why I bothered coming. It’s not long before my eyes grow dreary and my heart pounds wildly.
Someone bumps into me. “Watch it, man,” I bark at a kid I recognize from school.
He turns to face me. “Hey, Tommy.”
“What?”
“Did you hear what happened on campus?”
That gets my attention. “No,” I say too quickly, grabbing his shoulder. “What?”
“Someone burned the football field, man. The Sigmas threw a party on campus, and someone… They burned the club president and left some kind of demonic symbol on the football field. They’re saying…” he trails off, and I squeeze his shoulder.
“What the hell are they saying?”
His eyes widen when I don’t release his arm. “They’re saying it was that white-haired chick. Someone claims they saw her wearing a mask but took it off during the fire.”
Oh crap. As if on cue, everyone starts to whisper, the rumors spreading like wildfire.
My palms go clammy, and immediately on high alert, I scan the party for the others.
Where the hell is Didi?
My eyes shoot up, spotting Didi through a beaded curtain in another room. Out of her mind, dancing like no one’s watching as a hippie plays guitar in the corner. There are a few other people on the couch, equally as fucked up, and all staring at Didi.
Where the hell is Remy?
Didi’s wig is still on, but barely. We are playing with fire being here. If anyone saw her, she’d be lynched.
I push my way through the curtain. She’s slowly peeling off her clothes, and she’s running her hands all over her body like she’s made of silk.
I walk over to the couch and kick the drugged-up hippie watching her with his mouth gaping open.
“Everyone get out,” I growl, but no one moves. The strung-out hippie finally looks at me as if he’s just registering that I’m talking to him.
“Out. Now.”
He nudges his friend beside him as I wait patiently, glaring at them to the point it makes them squirm.
He lifts his hands. “Alright, alright. We’re getting out. Just relax, man.”
I wait for them to leave before I take a seat and watch Didi, who hasn’t yet noticed the music stopped. She lifts her head, sees me, and her eyes sparkle. “Tommy!” She jumps into my lap, melting into me.
“Hi, firefly,” I say, running my hands along her sides as she sinks in.
She gives me a lopsided grin. She’s soft and feels good. Although every sensation feels amazing to me right now.
“We have to get you out of here, okay?” I don’t want to make a big deal about her or draw any more attention than she has now. And she’s obviously out of her mind.
She frowns. “I don’t want to leave yet. I’m having fun.”
“Where’s Remy?”
She presses her lips to mine and her chest right along with it. “He’s getting me a drink.”
“You’re drunk.”
She grabs my thigh as she settles on top of me. “You’re one to talk.” My senses are sharp. The drugs are making me horny as hell, and I can’t wait to get her home tonight.
I wrap my arms around her neck, forcing her into me. “You’ve been avoiding me all night.”
She nuzzles her lips to my cheek. “I could say the same for you.”
She meets my eyes.. She’s like a vivid, hallucinatory dream I conjured up.
Remy walks in and spots us. He doesn’t say anything, just sits next to us on the couch. I keep holding her close, and judging by the look Didi’s giving him, her intentions for tonight are crystal clear.
“Where’s Talia?” Remy asks as Didi shifts her attention to Remy. “I thought I saw her leave with someone.”
My lips curl into a smile. “Do you remember Stephen Garcia?”
Didi blinks and looks between the two of us. “Stephen? Who is Stephen?”
“Don’t worry about it, baby,” Remy tells her, but keeps his eyes on me as he runs his hand up her thigh. She bites her lip and smiles at him.
“What do you mean? Did she leave with Stephen?” Remy asks. “That guy’s a major jerk. Why would you let her take off with him?”
I give him a look. “Like I have any say over your sister.”
He shakes his head and leans back, staring at Didi on my lap. “Remember our pact, man.”
Protect these girls at all costs.
A few people come into the room, and I overhear them talking about the girl with white hair. Remy hasn’t caught on yet, but this is so bad. We got careless and cocky. My senses are telling me something bad will happen if we stay.
I nudge him. “We need to get Didi out of here, and we can’t make a big deal about it. Where’s Bax?”
Remy shrugs, appearing unfazed by the obvious danger she’s in. “I thought he was with you. I haven’t seen him all night.”
Then, I notice Bax lurking in the corner, quickly looking from side to side, as if trying to avoid being seen.
What the hell is he up to?
Talia has something disturbing planned for tonight, and my suspicion is increasing due to Bax’s secretive behavior in the shadows. Talia gave me a warning, and it’s clear that Remy and Didi are oblivious to whatever Bax and Talia are planning.
It’s smart…genius, really. Because whatever it is, we will have to survive it, too.
She planned this to further solidify our innocence to the rest of the town.
I keep my eyes on Bax, who gives me a signal, and my adrenaline jolts.
This is dangerous…really messed up, even for Talia.
I glance around, noting that a few people are somewhat coherent, but most of them are wasted.
A hint of smoke teases my nostrils. I have a distinct awareness that this house is about to get burned. I keep my gaze heavy on Didi, my heart up ticking a beat.
Not again…not another fire.
People begin to scream around us, coughing and choking. Someone yells fire, causing a shift in energy in the house as people slowly realize they are in danger.
Remy stands abruptly, taking my shoulder as I carefully give Didi to him. Didi darts her gaze between us, confused.
“Didi,” I say carefully.
Her eyes are glassy. “Yeah?”
I clench my jaw. “I need you to slowly get up and go with Remy, and don’t panic.
Her brows knit together. “Why?”
“Because we have to get the hell outta here, baby.”